


Mermaid Rhapsody

by pretentious_git



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Siren, Tsukiyama - Freeform, grieving yamaguchi, loner tsukishima, mermaid, mermaid au, siren au, tsukkiyama - Freeform, yamaguchi is actually part mer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14340945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretentious_git/pseuds/pretentious_git
Summary: Yamaguchi Tadashi is grieving over the loss of his parents in his quiet way when he meets a siren, Tsukishima. Both have a story that brought them to where they are now, but sometimes it's not necessary to share it with someone who's also going through some self-searching. Tadashi is offered a new life, one that could've once been his from a very young age. Two worlds, two different creatures, one journey.[Siren!Au]





	Mermaid Rhapsody

**Author's Note:**

> I'M BACK! Hey everyone! It's been so long since I've cranked out anything Tsukkiyama/HQ and I feel so much better now that I have. I'm sorry for my sudden hiatus! This year/semester, writers' block has really hit me hard but because of some of your really kind words, I've been trying to dig myself out of this hole!
> 
> So the result is this, a mermaid au! Not really the most out-there idea, but I wanted to flesh out a new style of writing. If it's not as great as my previous stuff, please feel free to let me know! This is a time of experimentation for myself as well. 
> 
> I wanted to write something chill, a little heavy, but also just wanted to see these boys on paper again. I have a long fic idea planned in my head for a future endeavor, so hopefully that'll turn into something!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who supports me and those of you readers that are still around to check out my work! <3 It means the world~

            “Why is our tub really, really big?” Tadashi asked his mother, peeking up over the shiny new plastic at the woman who was wiping the other side. “It can fit me AND you!”’

            “It’s so that it can fit daddy,” she explained to her young son as she watched his eyes light up. “We’re going to be getting him in a few days; are you excited?”

            Tadashi practically radiated in excitement, hopping on the balls of his feet. “Really? Reallyyy? Daddy’s going to live with us now? Right here in this big tub?” He turned his big eyes down to the new addition to their small bathroom. It practically took up the entire room, but he didn’t care.

            “Yes, and we’re also going to dig a little pool in the back. Would you like to help me with that?”

            “Yes!” Came the enthusiastic response.

            A few days later, their renovations were complete. Aside from the large new tub, the small pool in the back was what had taken up their last few days. Enlisting the help from family, they had dug it deep enough that Tadashi was actually afraid to fall in. A small ladder was used to go down in order to line everything with rocks to keep the water from seeping into the soil around it.

            “Are we going to get a bunch of water from the ocean for daddy to breathe?” Tadashi asked when he and his mother was on the way to the beach, the two of them pulling a large cart with some large, empty buckets.

            “Yes,” she replied, going back and forth from giving her son a warm smile to looking at the water with a yearning expression. “And then in a few days, we’ll bring daddy home.”

            With Tadashi giving a little crow of excitement, the two began to fill their buckets.

            Time flew by and soon, Tadashi’s father became a constant presence in his life. Living primarily in the large tub or the pool outside, the young boy spent countless hours sitting next to the aquatic man, asking for stories about the depths under the seas or his life amongst the merfolk. He loved to stroke his tail, watching how the scales would glisten in the sunlight, or sparkle in the filtered moonlight through their bathroom window.

            “It’s so pretty,” Tadashi sighed, half his body propped on the tub’s edge as he sleepily watched his father scrub his tail one evening. “When did you get your tail?”

            “We were born with it,” his father explained, rubbing at a scale that seemed a little duller. “So, when I was a little boy like you, I also had a little tail.”

            Tadashi hummed, curious. He tilted his head the other way, mesmerized by the slow and steady strokes of his father’s hand. “So why don’t I have a tail yet? Is it because mommy doesn’t?”

            Pausing, his father looked up and set the sponge down, letting it bob in the water. Reaching over, he pressed a wet hand to Tadashi’s head. Over time, he had gotten used to the wetness that accompanied their family dynamic, what with random splashes of water found around the house. He smiled tiredly at the action.

            “Most likely. I’m not sure if you’ll ever get a tail, but you’re certainly my son. Are you okay with that, Tadashi? I wouldn’t have come to live with you here on the surface world if I didn’t think it was a good place for you to be.”

            Most of his father’s words washed over his head, but he understood that he meant well. Tadashi didn’t have a tail, probably wouldn’t, but his father still loved him. “Mm-hmm,” he responded, eyes closing as the hand in his hair continued to rub soothingly. “When I get a house, I’ll get a big tub so you can come live there too.”

            His father chuckled and the hand disappeared, only to reappear to tap on his cheek. “That sounds lovely. Now get up and go find your mother. You should be getting to bed instead of falling asleep here.”

            Tadashi scrunched his nose when a wet finger touched his cheek. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. “Okay.” Standing up from his little stool, he leaned in to plant a kiss on his father’s cheek. “G’night daddy.”

            “Goodnight, Tadashi.”

~@~

            When his father died, a year after his mother passed, Tadashi found himself going to the coast far more often. Not the beach, since that was always full of people, but farther down the coast line to where there was a little drop off. He could dangle his feet over the tiny cliff and still feel the waves lapping at his ankles, knowing that if he pushed off, there’d be no shallow end to save him.

            It wasn’t like he couldn’t swim. His parents had taught him that much at least. In fact, since he was a small child, his father had taught him the human mechanics of moving his legs, just so that he could paddle around the shallows while his merman father watched over him. His mother had always been nervous, but Tadashi felt comfort in the powerful flex of his father’s tail, guiding him through foreign waters.

            Nowadays he didn’t swim, the effort of being in the waters never looking that appealing anymore. Most of the time he just sat by the coast or tended to the small little house that his parents had left him.

            Today’s waters were a little choppy. It was a windy day but nothing unbearable. Yet the waves tossed and turned, causing Tadashi to remember his father speaking about the calmness under the torrential water’s surface. No matter what storm happened on top, it was always serene down below on the ocean floor. Yet for some reason, some merfolk delighted in going topside when there was a storm, like his father.

            A sudden glint in the distance brought Tadashi’s thoughts to a screeching halt and he froze, legs half-kicked and eyes wide. Staring out across the waves, he felt a weird mix of panic, confusion, and hysteria fill him. His mind _must_ have been playing tricks on him because there was no way he saw just the flick of a…

            There it was again, the flash of something radiant despite the gloomy sky. With a gasp, he sat up straight, hands gripping the cliff edge next to him as he leaned out farther, straining his vision to try and see past the crashing waves. Quickly, he stamped down the irrational thoughts. That wasn’t his father – of course not. He was there when he died, when he and his family buried him in secrecy from the rest of the town. Plus, his scales were a glimmering turquoise coloured. This was…gold?

            Minutes stretched by and the tail didn’t reappear. Shoulders sagging, Tadashi slouched back, disappointment filling his chest. He knew that other merfolk existed; his dad would tell him stories all the time. But he had never taken the initiative to go and seek them out, mainly because his father didn’t tell him enough, and he had never been an overly curious kid. Satisfied with his family and the uniqueness of his father alone, Tadashi suddenly felt like he had missed an opportunity to learn more about the world below.

            Squinting his eyes to try and see if he could catch one more glimpse of the merfolk’s existence, he sighed when all he saw were waves. He stood and dusted off his pants, mentally arranging to return the next day.

~@~

            In all honesty, he felt kind of silly sitting on the little cliff with a plate of his father’s favourite snack.

            _Who the hell said all merfolk liked to eat the same thing?_ His mental conscious chided as he picked one from the plate and bit into the sweet, berry tart. _Or if they even like surface food?_

            Numerous days had gone by without any result. Tadashi had nothing better to do so on the coast he stayed, waiting, but the merperson never reappeared. It was a shot in the dark, really, baking what he knew his father liked and bringing it along. Almost like some sort of way to bribe the merperson – granted they came back, into talking to him. But he had been sitting for a greater portion of the morning and at this rate, he’d end up finishing the treats himself.

            The hot afternoon sun was already creeping into the sky and Tadashi was left with the feeling that that one time he had seen the tail was either a trick of his mind or just a one-time thing. However, after he had finished off the last of his tarts and licked his fingers clean, he heard the splash of water a little to his left.

            Turning, his heart stopped and his body jerked in surprise, promptly knocking the little platter straight into the ocean below him.

            In silence, he and the merperson watched the poor thing tumble into the waves and solidly sink towards the bottom.

            “Ah…”

            “I was wondering when you’d finish those.”

            His head jerked back up and he gawked wide-eyed at the merperson who was propped up against the cliff edge, his arms resting on the cool rock. Unable to reply, Tadashi just felt his eyes roam. There it was, that gold tail! It looked even more mesmerizing in person, glittering in the faint sunlight and swishing around lazily under the water. The merperson themselves had hair nearly mimicking their tail: a soft, pale yellow. Their expression was more stoic than it was angry or interested, and Tadashi _still_ couldn’t figure out what to say.

            “O-Oh…”

            “You’ve been sitting here for a few weeks and I was going to come up sooner, but you brought those,” the merperson said, tilting their nose down towards the wave where the pate had disappeared. “The smell of it hurt my nose. How could you bare eating them?”

            Tadashi blinked. “My father liked them. So, I thought I’d bring them along.”

            “Hmm,” came the nonchalant reply. “Well, they’re gone now. And you’re probably not going to get that plate back.”

            “I-I know.”

            The merperson stared at him after that reply before rolling his eyes and pulling his arms away from the cliff. Anxiety seized Tadashi’s chest in the thought of the merperson deeming him absolutely boring and leaving but before he could say anything, they disappeared under the waves.

            He slumped in his seat, looking glumly out on the water. The one time he was finally able to meet a merperson other than his father and he had blown it by freaking out and not even knowing what to say. Maybe he should’ve planned out a conversation in his head-

            The surface of the water broke and this time, the merperson was right before him, stoic expression unchanging as he lifted the lost platter towards him.

            “Oh, thank you,” Tadashi said in surprise, reaching out to take it. He placed it next to him, eyes still glued on the merperson whose shoulders bobbed in the waters. “What’s your name?”

            Surprise was clear in the merperson’s eyes that they quickly covered with a look of suspicion. “You’re not surprised that I exist?”

            A small smile appeared on Tadashi; he wasn’t sure if he could reveal that his own father was a merman. Part of him felt like it wasn’t typical for a merperson to just up and leave their community. “I’ve always believed in your kind,” he said instead with a little shrug. “So I’m surprised to see you, but I’m not shocked.”

            The merperson still looked unbelieving, silent for a few moments before letting out a little huff through his nose. “Are you one of those humans that believe in all those myths, then? Like the faeries and whatever? Because they’re not real.” They almost sounded petulant at the idea of Tadashi just accepting whatever story came his way.

            He stifled a chuckle. “No, not really. I really, _really_ believed in merfolk though. I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, but you can just call me Tadashi.” His first name slipped out easily, almost like he was comfortable being around another merperson despite it being their first meeting.

            “Tsukishima,” the creature replied, swimming towards the cliff edge so he could rest his arms on it again. “Why do you sit out here?”

            Tadashi looked out at the water again, resuming the lazy kicking of his feet. The water was cold, but his excitement warmed his body. “Because I miss my parents. My father passed away not too long ago. The sea reminds me of the them.”

            Silence fell between them and Tadashi wasn’t sure if that was something he should’ve admitted so soon. But at the same time, it was better that someone knew why he was grieving rather than assume that he was just a moody, depressed guy all the time. He glanced at Tsukishima out of the corner of his eye and saw that the merperson was simply looking out past Tadashi, down the path on which he’d come.

            “Are you here because you wanted to jump?”

            The words were blunt, but Tadashi didn’t startle. After all…

            “I’d thought about it,” he admitted. “But for like, five minutes because I’m an adult and really, I’m doing just fine without my parents. I just miss them, you know?” He hastily added, not wanting to seem like the type of guy that never flew the nest.

            Tsukishima shrugged. “It wouldn’t be worth it anyway. We’d probably just throw your body back on shore.”

            The merperson was so bluntly crass that Tadashi felt like he had to recollect himself after every comment. “Do you not like when humans are in your waters?”

            “Would _you_ like it if a bunch of dead fish were just laying around your roads?”

            That was a valid point.

            It was quiet between them again, save for the sound of the birds and water, but it didn’t feel awkward. Tadashi felt like he just had so much he _could_ ask, but honestly didn’t feel pressured to do it. Tsukishima wasn’t really something so different than what he was already used to. In fact, he’d learned all that he had wanted to know from his own father. If anything, he was surprised that the merperson wasn’t asking _him_ questions.

            “Why’d you decide to come up to me?” He ended up asking, just for a chance to speak with them more. “I won’t go telling everyone you exist though, don’t worry.”

            “I wasn’t worried about that,” Tsukishima replied. “I came up because I was bored.”

            Tadashi remembered his father saying the exact same thing when he asked how he had met his mother. The merperson was bored and came topside. The rest was history.

            Swallowing, he nodded. “Sounds reasonable. I come here because I’m bored too. Sorry if I’m not entertaining as most humans could be.”

            The merperson shook their head. “It’s better than someone who’d freak out and probably fall in. Or worse, try and capture me.”

            “Do people really do that?” Tadashi asked, his face twisting down into a frown. “What do you do with the people that learn you exist and won’t stop until they get you?”

            For the first time, the merperson smiled and Tadashi blinked at how… _threatening_ it seemed. While his father had perfectly normal teeth save for sharp incisors, Tsukishima had sharp everything. Oh. He was-

            “You’re a siren,” Tadashi said the same moment Tsukishima stated, ‘We get rid of them.’

            They stared at each other for a moment, before Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know?”

            Biting the inside of his cheek, Tadashi tried to find a good lie. He couldn’t very well say that his father told him all about the different sorts of merfolk, ranging from those across the world, to the ones in their very ocean. Sirens were supposedly a little more aggressive, more violent, and _far_ more alluring. No wonder Tsukishima had a brilliantly coloured tail and a horribly clashing personality.

            “I research,” he settled for, shrugging and trying to make it seem casual.

            Tsukishima snorted. “You’re _really_ into us, aren’t you?”

            “Sure,” he replied with a faint grin.

            “Well, yeah. I’m a siren in your guys’ words. So unlike merfolk that bask in your attention, we like to play around with it. And if it gets annoying, then we’re done.” He spoke of murder like it was a normal thing, but Tadashi couldn’t even bring himself to feel nervous.

            With a teasing grin, he braved a chance to reach out, poking the siren’s arm. It was cool, like his father’s. “Are you going to drown me? Is that why you’re here?” Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to toy with his own life with a siren whose job was practically to toy with it themselves, but he relished in the look of exasperation on the siren’s face.

            “You’re not worth the effort,” Tsukishima answered, and while the words were harsh, their tone was light.

            Tadashi laughed, actually amused. “Can’t say if that’s an insult or a compliment, but I’ll take it.” He watched Tsukishima huff to the side in what looked like a short chuckle.

            After a beat, the siren asked the next question. “Do you know how to swim?”

            Casting a quick suspicious glance at him, Tadashi nodded. “Yeah. Thought you weren’t going to drown me.”

            “I’m not,” he answered. “Most humans want to ‘discover the oceans with a mermaid.’ Was wondering if you were one of them, seeing as you’re a merfolk junkie.”

            Looking down at where his feet was dipped in the water, he shrugged. “I mean, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea and of course I’ve always been curious…I don’t know. That wasn’t really the first thing on my mind when I met you.”

            “What was, then?”

            _My dad_. “How cool you are,” he grinned, watching as the siren blinked in surprise before looking away with furrowed brows. On closer inspection, he realized the siren’s neck was actually tinged a warmer colour. “Like I said, I’ve always believed in you guys. So I kind of have realistic expectations, like knowing I wouldn’t be able to survive under water for too long.”

            Which, actually, was a lie. He might not have inherited his father’s tail, but the one thing he did gain was the ability to hold his breath for a long time. How long, he had never tested, but he remembered times where his mother yanked him from the little pool after three solid minutes of sitting at the bottom.

            Tsukishima suddenly moved off the cliff, swimming in front of Tadashi. “Why don’t you try it?”

            He blinked in surprise. “Try what?”

            “Checking out down there,” Tsukishima clarified, as if it were obvious. “I can drag you back topside if you start dying.”

            A sudden yearn in his chest made Tadashi want to nod and jump in immediately, but something held him back. He stared down at the water, knowing that if he went in, there’d be little chance he’d want to come back up.

            “Not today,” he answered slowly, looking at the siren who had a disappointed expression on their face. “I’m not even prepared.”

            “You don’t need to be prepared,” Tsukishima said, but sighed. “Fine, suit yourself. But if you’re not going to go and explore your own world and just sit around staring at ours, I thought I’d offer.”

            He hated being called out like that, but he understood what the siren meant. Tadashi wasn’t doing anything productive with his time and even though he was grieving, sitting on a cliff for a few weeks was not the right way to get through it. This was probably the siren’s nicest way of saying he was getting boring.

            “How about… tomorrow?”

            “I won’t be in the mood for it tomorrow,” Tsukishima said bluntly, eyes looking out towards the water. Tadashi was silent, unsure of how to respond. “It’s okay,” the siren then said, turning his head. Surprisingly, Tsukishima had on an actual grin, almost like he was impressed with Tadashi. “I was trying to kill you for a moment. But I guess you really aren’t as dumb as they say humans are.”

            Tadashi stared at them, torn between being angry, scared, and relieved. He ended up settling on reluctant acceptance. What did he expect from a siren? They weren’t close friends; it was practically normal for Tsukishima to scope out any possible prey. It only sucked because Tadashi really was debating it.

            “Oh.”

            “Don’t get beat up over it. I said it was only for a second. I don’t actually want to drown you.”

            He frowned. “What if I asked you to check out the surface world, only to stick you in a little pool for the rest of your life?”

            Tsukishima flashed him another toothy, intimidating smile. “I’d kill you.”

            Rolling his eyes, he pulled his legs back up, crossing them. “Exactly. I think it’d be cool to check out the ocean with you. You’re just not allowed to do anything suspicious.”

            The siren looked indignant, as if they didn’t just admit to trying to kill Tadashi moments ago. “I wouldn’t. So tomorrow?”

            “Sure,” Tadashi responded with a little smile. “Tomorrow.”

~@~

            Tomorrow came and Tadashi found himself in shorts, a thin shirt, and anxiety gnawing at his chest. He _knew_ that he could hold his breath for a while, so a quick trip down and back up would be fine. It just didn’t help that Tsukishima was staring at him expectantly with their arms crossed, as if waiting for some sort of grand performance of him jumping into the water.

            “What?” He asked irritably at the siren who simply quirked a brow. “Give me a second.”

            “I thought you lived here. You said you knew how to swim.”

            “I do,” Tadashi snapped back. “I just, you know, I didn’t really ever expect to go _actually_ checking out the ocean with a merperson.” He felt like his words were even making sense.

            Tsukishima swam over to the cliff edge and looked up, smirking. “What, do you need to hold my hand the whole way?”

            Tadashi glared at him slightly. “Oh, shut up.” He took a deep breath, then jumped.

            The water enveloped him like a blanket, wrapping around him like it missed his presence. He hadn’t swum since his father was still alive and it actually took him a moment to remember to start kicking lest he go straight to the bottom. Once he found his bearings, he opened his eyes.

            He immediately let out a gurgled shout when he saw Tsukishima’s face inches from his own. Reflexively he clamped his hands over his mouth to not waste anymore air but his eyes widened when Tsukishima reached out, putting their hands on his shoulders and staring at…not his face, intently.

            He wished he could speak, to demand what was going on, but even though he squirmed, Tsukishima’s grip on his shoulders was like iron. Tadashi closed his eyes, trying to wriggle away in desperation, and froze when suddenly fingers were pressing gently at the side of his neck.

            His eyes then snapped open, the salt of the water never having bothered him, and nearly took a sharp inhale when Tsukishima’s fingers brushed his flesh, almost in awe. Unlike topside, the siren’s fingers felt just the right temperature of cool that it made Tadashi shiver.

            Quickly, he reached over and grabbed Tsukishima’s wrist, flinging it away. His eyes must’ve betrayed panic because the siren suddenly grabbed him again, pulling away the other hand still on his mouth.

            “Breathe,” Tsukishima demanded, their voice as clear as day under the water.

            _WHAT? Tsukishima was crazy!_ He violently shook his head, betrayal in his eyes. Was he actually trying to drown him? Tadashi tried to swim back up to the surface, but Tsukishima’s strong hands kept him down.

            “Breathe, Tadashi!”

            _NO! No, no, no!_

            Arms wrapped around his waist, keeping him in place, and Tadashi felt like he was going to die.

            “You’re going to be fine,” the siren barked in his ear, “Open your mouth!”

            His mind was going in overdrive and due to the panic, Tadashi _needed_ to breathe. He fought Tsukishima’s grip as best as possible only for the siren to suddenly squeeze his middle _hard_ , making him open his mouth.

            He took in a huge gulp of water and began coughing…and coughing… He gasped, straightening up. It was so hard to describe but after his breathing calmed down, he could focus on the sensation. Water flowed straight into his mouth and _nose_ and left him feeling perfectly fine – refreshed even, as if he had just taken a gulp of fresh air. With every breath, he felt a cool breeze by his neck and –

            “Tsukishima,” he said, _underwater_ , “Tsuki- what the _hell_?”

            When their name was said, the siren finally let him go, watching Tadashi practically start to panic again. Tsukishima reached out, grasping him by the shoulder once more.

            “Stop. Breathe, you’re going to be fine,” they said, though curiosity was clear in their eyes. Again, fingers appeared at Tadashi’s neck and he jerked back, clamping a hand on his neck.

            “Stop- what?” His own fingers then started to touch his skin and he gasped when he felt the smallest of flaps, fluttering with every breath. “I-I- I have –“

            “Gills,” Tsukishima finished, coming closer again, inspecting. “They’re really small though. And they appeared when you got in the water. You never knew?”

            “Of course not!” Tadashi nearly screeched, still touching his _gills_. They felt like normal skin but cut into flaps. He tried so hard not to shove a finger up there in hysteria. “I knew I could hold my breath for a while, but I didn’t know I had _gills_!”

            Hands were at his shoulders again and the siren’s face was close – way, way too close. “You’re not telling me something. Humans don’t have gills, but you’re not a merfolk.” Tsukishima’s command was clear in his voice. _Tell me._

            “I-I,” Tadashi blabbered, trying to figure out what to say. Did he confess? Tell his secret? What was the point in hiding it, anyway? “My dad’s a merman. He met my mother here. I never got his tail, but I didn’t know…”

            Tsukishima’s eyes went wide. “You’re part mer.”

            Swallowing, Tadashi nodded. “I- well, yeah. I guess. I thought I just took after my mom a lot…”

            “That’s not how that works, smart one,” Tsukishima said, releasing him again. “You’re a half and half child. The tail isn’t the only thing about merfolk. You can breathe underwater.” He peered at Tadashi who was staring at him warily. “Your eyes don’t burn.” He glanced down at the ocean’s bottom, far below them. “I bet you could probably walk down there too; you just know how to swim.”

            Tadashi looked down at the dark depths of the ocean floor. It wasn’t too far, but it was definitely worse than swimming-pool deep. He startled when a hand grabbed his wrist.

            “Let’s try it.”

            And suddenly, they were diving straight for the floor. Tadashi’s legs tried to kick to compensate for their speed, but Tsukishima’s tail brought them closer much quicker with every powerful thrust. Within seconds, Tadashi’s feet were touching sandy ground. “I can’t-“

            “Stop being so insecure,” Tsukishima said almost as an afterthought as they released Tadashi, swimming around him curiously. “You just learned you can breathe underwater. Give yourself a little credit and try walking, will you?”

            Parting at the words briefly, he simply nodded and swallowed, still unused to the sensation of being able to feel water rushing into his nose and throat but instead of it clogging his lungs, they filtered back out at his neck. Smoothly, he began walking. It was almost exactly like walking on land but with the added sensation of being able to make one little jump and he could just float up into the water. It was as if his body understood that he wanted to walk and was letting him.

            Excitedly, he turned around to beam proudly at Tsukishima who was simply smirking behind him with arms crossed. “I can do it!” He exclaimed.

            “Yeah, and of all the people I tried to drown, of course it’s the one that’s half-mer,” the siren joked, swimming closer.

            Too engrossed with his newfound abilities to even get mad, Tadashi nodded happily. “Holy crap, I can breathe underwater. I can _walk_.”

            “Amazing,” came the bland reply, but underneath was the faint tone of amusement. “Well, this makes everything so much easier. Ready to go, or are you still freaking out over being half-fish?”

            “Half- _merman_ ,” Tadashi corrected. “But yeah, I’m good! Show me everything!”

            Rolling their eyes but hiding a smirk, the siren nodded. “Alright. Come on.”

~@~

            They didn’t run into another merperson, but they did explore the ocean bed for a few hours. Tadashi was blown by all the little things that were so curiously different than living life on land. Small creatures crawled on the sandy floor, bobbing on the current to try and get on their way. Plants that he could never find anywhere else on earth swayed gently, as if it were a breeze. Fish of all shapes and sizes swam past the two of them, minding their own business.

            The ocean floor was a little dark, but it was beautiful.

            “It’s amazing down here,” Tadashi murmured as he played with a little crab that was scurrying over his fingers. He was knelt down by a rock formation, curiously peeking into the little crevices as Tsukishima sat at the top of it, eyes closed. “How are you bored?”

            “The same way anyone can get bored by being in one place for too long.”

            He supposed that was true. “Did you ever want to come to the surface?” He asked, straightening up and leaning against the rock to peer at Tsukishima. The siren looked so comfortable, basking under the faint light filtered through the ocean.

            “No,” Tsukishima said, his voice sounding honest. “I don’t bother with things that I know can’t happen.”

            Tadashi frowned, thinking. “Well. I thought that I couldn’t do more than hold my breath.”

            The siren’s head turned, looking him dead in the eye. The colour of their eyes were a pretty hazel, and Tadashi liked looking at them. “You knew you were part-mer so even if you were nervous, there was always a chance. I’m full mer.”

            He supposed that was also true. It would be irrational to try and get Tsukishima to try for the impossible. “Well, were you ever curious about the surface world?” Tadashi gripped the rock and pushed off the ground, letting the water help him float up towards the top where he could sit. Tsukishima shifted a little to accommodate. “I know my dad was.”

            “Sometimes.” The siren closed their eyes again, putting their arms behind their head. “But I’ve never met a human until now.”

            A little part of Tadashi felt honoured that he was the first human Tsukishima was willing to meet. He smiled, glad that the siren couldn’t see it. “Oh yeah? And what do you think so far?” It was a little bold, but he was talking to a siren who was normally blunter.

            There was a beat and Tsukishima didn’t open his eyes, but spoke slowly. “I think… they’re pretty alright.”

            “Just alright?”

            One eye cracked open and the siren raised a brow at Tadashi. In return, he smiled innocently. “Some don’t make for bad company.”

            Grinning, Tadashi looked away at the same time Tsukishima closed their eyes again. “Is there more?” He asked curiously, reaching out to try and poke a small fish that was passing by. It dodged his finger expertly and he watched it swim away. “Civilizations? Or are you all mostly solo?”

            Tsukishima was quiet for a bit, before shrugging. “There are places. I don’t go to many of them, though.”

            “Oh? Are they really busy or something?” Tadashi asked curiously. He tried to imagine cities like his own but underwater, bustling with tails and fish and just everything else aquatic.

            “Kinda. I haven’t been to one in a while.”

            The way Tsukishima said that made him pause and think. Tadashi remembered his father explaining how just like a school of fish, merfolk still thrived while being in communities. Being alone was usually intimidating and Tsukishima’s vagueness made him want to ask.

            “Hey, are you… did you maybe leave your group or something?” _How do you even phrase something like that?_

Silent for a bit, Tsukishima then sighed and sat up. “Yeah. You were right to wonder why I was by your coast. Sirens are usually out at sea.”

            Tadashi bit the inside of his cheek. “I see.”

            Tsukishima looked at him with knitted brows. “You’re not going to ask?”

            “…Did you want me to ask?” He wasn’t going to, since it was obvious that the other was grieving in their own way, just like Tadashi was with his. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask.”

            “I always figured humans were alarmingly curious creatures…” Tsukishima muttered.

            Giving him a small, guilty smile and a shrug, Tadashi spoke. “Sorry I’m not like every other human out there apparently.”

            “Better you than anyone else,” Tsukishima said, and apparently neither person expected the little confession because the silence between them was prolonged. Then the siren hopped off the rock, looking anywhere but Tadashi. “Do you want to keep going?”

            “Yeah,” Tadashi said, the smile on his face unable to be held back any longer. He carefully slid off the rock, landing on the sandy surface with ease. “What else can you show me?”

            “The whole ocean.”

            He looked up to see the siren was looking back at him, a nonchalant expression on their face. The statement was small, but for some reason the two of them understood the weight that it held, whether the proposition was serious or not.

            Tadashi looked down at his bare feet that were digging into the sand beneath him. It was a different world, one that he never thought he’d ever experience. Even though he was part-mer, he had never taken initiative to explore his father’s world or learn more about it other than what he was told. Maybe it was because he was never one to be so curious that he took initiative. Maybe it’s because he didn’t care as much.

            Maybe he was just perfectly content with his life that he didn’t bother to realize that there was so much more out there in the world.

            His silence must’ve made Tsukishima anxious (an interesting sight), because the siren seemed to fidget next to him, their tail swishing a bit more than usual.

            “You can breathe underwater and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d be able to eat our food.” Tsukishima looked away, running their fingers through wispy hair. “So, let’s just, I don’t know. Travel.”

            Tadashi stared at them, picking up the small nonverbals. Tsukishima was nervous. Who wouldn’t be? Asking not just a stranger, but a human, to join them in their journeys around a world vaster than anything else was a huge display of…trust? Commitment? Maybe just desperation bred from loneliness.

            But ultimately, what was there for Tadashi on the surface anyway? He was a quiet townsperson, always too nervous to go out and involve himself with society because of his biological make up. He’d always feared he’d somehow get found out. His extended family loved him, but they were never around and after his father had died, taking away what was their only unique factor, they practically forgot Tadashi existed.

            He wasn’t necessarily an outcast, but he didn’t fit in either. Much like Tsukishima.

            “Where would we go?” He asked, watching the siren practically straighten up at his subtle-agreement.

            Tsukishima turned towards him, hands splayed at their side. “Wherever you want. I can show you my entire world.”

            A smile broke out on Tadashi’s face, excitement and anticipation starting to thrum through his veins. Tsukishima’s promise was tantalizing: a whole new world provided to him. How could he say no?

            Taking a step forward, he nodded, relishing in the relieved expression on the siren’s face. “Then, yes. Let’s go.”

            As they traveled farther into the ocean, Tadashi’s old world fell away, taken over with the promise of a prospective new world, new life, and new friend.

           

**Author's Note:**

> <3
> 
> The title is inspired by the Japanese band Sekai No Owari's song: Mermaid Rhapsody!


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